California Teleconnect Fund
The California Teleconnect Fund (CTF) provides qualified organizations a 50% discount on internet access and select digital transmission services in California. For more on this change and general program information go to www.cpuc.ca.gov/ctf or contact [email protected]. The application of actual discounts may vary for CTF participants who are eligible for federal E-rate discounts or who receive federal Rural Health Care discounts.
GTT SERVICES ELIGIBLE FOR CTF DISCOUNTS
- Asynchronous Transfer Mode (ATM)
- Digital Subscriber Lines (DSL)
- Digital Signal (DS) / Trunk Level (T) – DS1 (T-1), DS-3 (T-3), and Fractional T-1 or T-3
- Frame Relay
- Multi-protocol label switching (MPLS)
- Wide Area network
* Service descriptions may include elements that are ineligible for CTF discounts. Discounts on such elements will not be provided, per program rules. None of the discounted services include voice services.
ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA
CTF customers must qualify under one of the following categories:
- Public or Nonprofit Schools: Public schools, nonprofit schools, and schools run by a religious order that are incorporated as a nonprofit Public Benefit Corporation or as a nonprofit Religious Corporation providing elementary or secondary education (grades K-12). Qualified schools may not have endowments of more than $50 million.
- Libraries: Libraries that are eligible for participation in state-based funding under the Library Services and Technology Act (“LSTA”). Eligibility for libraries is defined in Act 20 USCA Sec. 9122 (2 and 3), but need not be certified under LSTA for purposes of CTF.
- Municipal, County Government or Hospital District Owned and Operated Hospital and Health Clinic: All hospitals and health clinics owned and operated by county, municipal government or hospital districts.
- Community Based Organizations (CBOs): Tax exempt organizations offering health care, job training, job placement, educational instruction, or a non-profit CBO operating a community technology center engaged in diffusing technology into a local community, and training a local community that has limited or no access to the internet and other technologies shall qualify for the discount rate for CBOs or a nonprofit CBO providing 2-1-1 information and referral services. A “tax exempt organization” shall refer to an organization described in Section 501 (c)(3) or 501 (d) of the Internal Revenue Code, Title 26 of the United States Code. CBOs must apply and obtain approval for each location. Certain certification rules apply to CBOs. Please refer to the CPUC web site for more information. https://www.cpuc.ca.gov/ctf/
- California Community Colleges: California community colleges and/or districts.
These discounted services may not be resold to, or shared with, any other non-qualifying organization or person.
SENATE BILL 1102 – STATEWIDE AVERAGE E-RATE DISCOUNT
Pursuant to Senate Bill (SB) 1102, CTF Service Providers are required to apply the statewide average E-rate percentage (as instructed in the Telecommunications Division’s Administrative Letter No. 10) before applying the CTF discount on eligible services, where applicable.
If you are a school or library and have not applied for E-rate, your CTF discounts may be impacted by SB 1102. CTF service providers are required to apply the California statewide average E-rate percentage before calculating the CTF discount (this calculation only reduces the customer’s eligible dollar amount considered for CTF discounts; it does not provide the customer an E-rate discount) on eligible services for public and private K-12 schools and public libraries.
The statewide average E-rate percentage is updated in July of each year. The statewide average can vary, based on the annual update. Go to CPUC website for yearly statewide average E-rate percentages. https://www.cpuc.ca.gov/ctf/
If you are a CTF approved entity that is not eligible for E-rate discounts, you will not be affected by SB 1102.
If you are a public school that meets the definition of a necessary small school (see California Education Code) and your school or district is not eligible for E- rate, you will not be affected by SB 1102. You must complete the SB1102 Verification of Necessary Small School form and email it to the applicable T&T affiliate as shown on the form instructions.
If you are a public or private school or public library, who is eligible to receive E-rate discounts, or a community-based organization who is eligible to receive E-rate discounts but subscribe to telecommunications services that are ineligible for E-rate discounts, you will not be affected by SB 1102. You must complete the CTF Eligible/E-rate Ineligible Services Form and email it to the applicable AT&T affiliate as shown on the form instructions.
If you are a public or private school or public library, who is eligible to receive E-rate discounts, or a community-based organization who is eligible for E-rate discounts on all your telecommunications services eligible for CTF discounts, do not fill out the CTF Eligible/E-rate Ineligible Services Form mentioned above, as it is not applicable.
Note: CTF was established in 1996 by the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) and is solely funded by the California State Budget through an end-user surcharge on intrastate telecommunications services. CTF discounts are contingent on funds appropriated and available under the State Budget. GTT is not responsible for providing discounts in the instance where funding is exhausted, or the program is suspended by the CPUC
California Teleconnect Fund Program Application Process
Please submit your requests to the following contact details:
Email: [email protected]
Tel: +1 (866) 359-0084
For newly approved applicants, the discount begins on the date your application was received by the CPUC.
If you are an organization receiving the federal E-Rate subsidy in conjunction with the CTF subsidy, please ensure to notify GTT of your funding method selection. Per the CPUC’s website, “Administrative Letter No. 14 eliminates the option of Billed Entity Applicant Reimbursement (BEAR) E- Rate funding method for CTF participants.”
If you have any questions regarding CTF subsidy calculations, please contact us on the details above.
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